Hoteliers outside Hillsborough and Pinellas counties said they too are booking rooms for the convention, Aug. 27 - Aug. 30, and in at least one case, booking rooms for those who want to escape the convention hubbub. Surrounding businesses have taken note, recognizing that where visitors go, opportunities follow.

About a month ago, a group booked 75 percent of the 135 rooms at the Holiday Inn Sarasota Bradenton Airport for 10 days starting Aug. 25.

“Tampa by now should be sold out,” said Mohammad Gharavi, general manager. “Sarasota and Manatee should see more overflow coming down.”

Gharavi did not disclose the identity of the group. Nor has he discussed with the group its reasons for picking Sarasota. They may have wanted to stay away from the crowds or they couldn’t find the bulk of rooms they needed closer to the convention site, he said.

“They will be gone most of the day, and come back at night, or even later than that,” he said. “We’re ready for them. We’re prepared.”

Businesses are perking up their ears.

From hotels to limo companies, the RNC has generated significant buzz among Sarasota businesses, said Jennifer Ahearn-Koch, spokeswoman for Sarasota restaurant and catering company Mattison’s.

“It’s definitely spilling over into Sarasota,” she said of RNC business. “We expect to have that spillover effect in our restaurants as well.”

The official caterer and in-house restaurant at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, Mattison’s has two additional restaurants in Sarasota and a catering company.

Mattison’s is prepared to travel to Tampa Bay as demand arises. The company is registered with the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee’s Small Business Network Directory.

A different audience

Not every hotelier south of the Skyway has seen a rush of RNC bookings, although many are looking for it.

A spokeswoman for The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota said hotel management hoped to see some “compression from the convention,” but had not seen anything.

As far as RNC impact at the Longboat Key Club & Resort near Sarasota, “it’s been negligible,” said spokeswoman Sandra Rios.

Early on, the 218-unit property made an effort to solicit convention business, but heard back that its distance from downtown Tampa, coupled with the convention’s late hours, would be prohibitive for daily travel or for hosting events.

Now, the resort has partnered with Travel by Appointment, a travel advisory based in Tampa, to offer special rates the week of the convention.

The target audience is people living in and around downtown Tampa who want to get away from the hustle and bustle.

“We read that things would be difficult for people who lived there, work-wise, and getting in and out of their area,” said Doria Gomez, owner of Travel by Appointment.

“If you live in Tampa and you want to get away for a few days and you don’t want to drive very far, that’s the way to go.”

DELEGATE HOTELS: In April, the RNC assigned roughly 7,000 hotel rooms at 36 hotels to 56 delegations. Delegate host hotels were located in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and in the case of Saddlebrook Resort, in Pasco County. The 540-unit golf and tennis resort in Wesley Chapel will host delegations from Louisiana and Texas. A Saddlebrook representative did not respond to calls seeking comment. — Margaret Cashill